Do you not prefer a system where we (the staff/management) know a budget (reasonable) that’s reviewed against income/debt and set annually? Last thing we need imo, is the owners saying “here is 10m to get promoted this season” if it means a repeat of having to cut costs and shift wages/players again in 12 months if it doesn’t work out. Perhaps a bigger budget/more to spend is better if it’s a gradual development - in this system, there is fair argument to say any sales will require reinvestment, rather than having to say - “we need the wage bill to be cut back to avoid sanction or stop spiralling debts” Technically, by cutting cloth accordingly and maxing out other turnovers, we can actually build value and quality in the squad without the immediate need to be promoted to sustain it. Spending multimillions on players, with big wages would potentially add cost elsewhere, because you can’t convince Dack to sign a new 10k a week contract if you’ve just given an x prem a decent deal, or someone like Marcus Maddison 20k, on the basis 4 or 5 clubs have may have driven the price up. Im not naive or unambitious, I understand more seasons in the champ will see us have to replace players moving on, I understand that quality costs more but I really do like the idea of using our scouting and buying potential to help develop along with our own.

How did we buy him then? What’s the difference between the money we’ve taken through the coffers for ST’s and the money we’ve spent on the signing? I do apologise if I’m missing something, but I’ve read this whole thread twice and I still can’t get my head around what people are complaining about, other than logical and small increases in cost of certain things. I’d expect many things to cheapen overnight (tickets, travel, club membership etc) if we had a premier league income stream. There is a stark irony for me, of wanting rid of the owners but lamenting keeping our club solvent! You can’t have both, if you want the owners to invest more money into the club, for signings - you’re effectively saying you want them to stay. Quicker the club can pay for its expensive facilities and academy itself, whilst still staying competitive.. quicker we can get rid of the Rao’s.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2018/july/new-deal-for-darragh/ the twitter account taking the piss out of Nixon made my morning;

What, like Davenport?

Looking at this, it adds more weight to Rothwell serving higher up the pitch - possible wide forward (or inside left as suggested in the Oxford blog) and backup for Dack - Payne’s role last season. Makes sense too, because it seems we went for Payne after the attempts to sign Rothwell in January failed. If we can add Armstrong and Chapman, I’d say we may be in a good position come August.

I take it you’re as obnoxious in real life based on that first sentence... I’ll say it again so it makes sense this time; Id like to think the manager picks his list based on ABILITY before any enquiries to agents/clubs! It’s really not that difficult to grasp.

I agree to some extent but the hopeful side of me thinks they’d draw a list up based on ability, not availability. The depth in the scouting then counts, if the first or second choice for a position isn’t likely due to price/interest. Id like to think we’d left the days of relying on a “list” from an agent.

How can you know a players availability before you’ve even enquired?

Great social media imo

And I was making the point that the link literally dropped on my twitter feed this morning.

Nope. As we’ve discussed, the social media at a Ewood this year has been much better- this is today’s example of our “1 goal a day from last season”- ending when next season starts.

Cracking ball in by Samuel that, not bad for a striker out wide. Write him off at your own peril!

To take those teams and suggest “relegation fodder” is pure missing the point WWWM. As I said they are the teams we have “without investment”. Nobody said that would be our starting side, nobody said we won’t add more, it was merely an effort to point out what’s in the club at the minute. I think it’s difficult to argue that they are worse than the team that came down last time, especially considering the mentality had to be built from the ground up. Would I take Dack, Smallwood, and Raya before Emnes, Lowe and Steele? Still stand by the idea that those setups would scrap survival under TM, but the point you missed; we will likely be adding quality to what is already a decent squad with plenty of options. A better starting place. Is it perfect? No, if we started the season with just those teams and picked up 1/2 key injuries - we’d be relying on some pretty young backups or Whittingham, Caddis and Gladwin.

Another missing the point- the whole post is to show that we aren’t in a bad starting place, a few others seem to think we need serious investment or we will be relegated.

Agree with much of that but I think it’s a good tactic to have a good two or three shapes to use. I think we will have to rely on counter a lot this season, which could be benefitted by 3 Centrebacks and an extra forward. If it’s not working, change around. It’s not desperation to completely change what worked, it’s pragmatism to understand different options are necessary.

That’s without another penny or loan, and to be honest I still disagree. Under TM, that team or the unchanged 352 would scrape survival imo. Im quite sure we will see further recruits though. In a much better position than 2 years ago.

Just a look at whats currently on the books; Raya Lenihan Mulgrew Williams Bennett Rothwell Smallwood Bell Dack Samuel Graham Subs/backups; GK Leutwiler, Fisher Defence; Nyambe, Downing, Midfield; Evans, Whittingham, Travis Forwards; Gladwin, Conway, Nuttall. Thats a version of that team without any signings from this point on. They mentioned 5 today in the LET, but do we honestly need that many? The u23s from last season might see some loan time but perhaps Tomlinson, Platt, Magliore etc could be added to the backup? A version without further investment for alternate 4231; Raya Nyambe Lenhihan Mulgrew Williams Evans Smallwood Samuel Dack Conway Graham Subs/backups; GK Leutwiler, Fisher Defence; Bell, Downing, Midfield; Rothwell, Whittingham, Travis, Bennett Forwards; Gladwin, Nuttall. In the “352” be happy to see investment at Centreback to push Mulgrew to LCB (as mentioned earlier in summer, a big powerful style to counter anything and improve attacking/defending set pieces) and the obvious- wide attackers, to supplement the 4231 variant of our tactics from last season. As for the “4231”, I think this is currently weaker, without seeing Rothwell in his role and reliance on Samuel/Conway - hence why id be looking at some investment in those areas. Chapman and Armstrong would be two who instantly improve both versions of our recent tactics imo.

And useless at home to Doncaster, but then we also changed to it whilst chasing a few games later in the season and the extra player upfront helped us over the line.

I don’t recall it being a complete failure? I remember it being ineffective at times, useful at others. Similar to how we played 4231 and 442 times and it looked useless - ie Oldham away.

That’s not to say I don’t think the division has moved on a bit in two years, but I’d be quite happy to predict we’d stay up easily if we sign a couple more for key positions, and blood a few more talented youth players into the squad, I think it could be a big year for Travis, Tomlinson, Nuttall, maybe even Platt and Hardcastle. Improvements in Darragh, Nyambe, Raya - we’ve a real bag of potential quality to add to - even a few key players like Dack and Smallwood are a decent age to develop further. I think we’d likely start 4231 or a variation with 3 CB’s, which means Conway and Samuel are likely to be the attacking width at current, with Graham, Dack and backup of Gladwin (maybe also Rothwell?) as the other two attackers (number 9 and 10.) Those positions are the most in need of recruitment for me. Antonsson, Chapman and (mainly) Armstrong played in those wide attacking roles, and they’ve all left. Id like to see us add at least one more winger who can play left or right, instead of a striker out wide. Listening to sounds from the club, Chapman looks potentially setup and I’d not bet against Armstrong returning later in the window if he isn’t signed by someone else or given more opportunity at NUFC Back to Rothwell, there may be legs in the stuff from Oxford, about him potentially suiting a more attacking role. The article below suggests he could suit an “modern inside forward from the left” or withdrawn striker, so potentially he would be a wideman in our setup? https://eflreference.wordpress.com/2018/06/18/joe-rothwell/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Have to disagree. This is a better team to the one that was relegated, that’s before any signings- imo obviously. Id understand that many would disagree but from the performances I’ve watched, and Tony’s influence - even statistically when he inherited a rock bottom broken team from Coyle - even with only a couple of loan replacements, we are a better “team” than that imo. A lot of that comes from spirit, character and organisation, and obviously id like to see us further up than just merely surviving but I think we are in a better starting point than a few others might.

There are examples of both working, and lots of examples of excess leading to further decline. We are a good example of spending money and not getting any value, however our investments haven’t all been bad, Cairney, Gestede, Marshall, Conway and Evans all cost less than a million, and all of them have/had at least one promotion from the second tier on their CVs. The general rule of thumb for me, sensible improvements and building of a “team” is the best way to achieve any goal long term. Ofcourse, Wolves and others are perfectly obvious examples of quick fixes done with big investments, but as Pomster and others have pointed towards, we’ve spent a lot of money in the past and had not much in return. I’m absolutely buzzing to hear comments and rumours about players being binned off in interviews because of attitude. We need to build a mentality, that started from the ground up 12 months ago and the solution for me is continuity, patience and pragmatism. One bad apple spoils the cart. I admit more funds would help us get those exceptional talents and characters but I also feel a small pot makes the staff seek the absolute most out of their means. A proper team spirit alone will win us points, and more quality around a few key players could help us surprise a few.

I’m not sure why I’m wasting my time replying, but you know as well as I do - if it simply came down to funds, wages and transfer fees, we would’ve returned to the top flight at the first attempt under Kean. Cardiff hardly spent a penny in transfers last summer, other than Madine - and he hardly made an impact. Clever, patient and long term business, not spending money for the sake of it.

I agree on this. Only just read the article but it just reaffirms the overall improvements in comms, customer service, social media etc since he arrived. Granted there is not much concrete in the article, he talks about keeping the ground up to spec, possibly investing in the riverside which could turn Ewood into a more day to day venue, hotel/restaurante etc and also integrating and improving the academy and senior training centre. It’s all the stuff we haven’t actually heard discussed for years, ways to actually improve the club in the long run. It’s still only talk till it’s done though! Combining the safe standing idea with a riverside re-fit could be a good idea, so could converting part of the stand into some sort of venue - a new Northcote or Bowland brewery esq establishment might work that side of Blackburn.

Cairney..... Gestede.... It’s part of the game, so much of the talent is dragged upwards towards u23 teams, look at the horde some prem clubs loan out. To ignore it is barmy. Watford practically loaned their way out of the league. What book is that, the “Jal’s big book of BS”? If I wasn’t in such a jovial mood I’d simply ignore your absolute rambling nonsense. Good day sir.